Clock



Patented Dec. 7, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFlCE CLOCK ApplicationSeptember 24, 1935, Serial No. 41,888

Claims.

The present invention relates generally to clocks. More particularly theinvention relates to that type of clock which is designed to be mountedon the dashboard of a vehicle such as 5 an automobile and is adapted tohave the dial thereof illuminated by an electric light on the dashboard.

@ne object of the invention is to provide a clock of this type which maybe read more readily than previously designed clocks of like character,by reason of the fact that the hour scale is separate from, and isdisposed inwardly of, the minute scale.

Another object of the invention is to provide a clock of the type underconsideration in which the hour and minute hands are disposed behind thehour and minute scales and the latter are illuminated in a novel andeicient manner so as to permit of ready reading of the clock at night.

A further object of the invention is to provide a clock which isgenerally of new and improved construction and may be manufactured at alow and reasonable cost.

Other objects of the invention and the various advantages andcharacteristics of the present clock construction will be apparent froma consideration of the following detailed description.

The invention consists in the several novel 30 features which arehereinafter set forth and are more particularly dened by claims at theconclusion hereof.

In the drawing which accompanies and forms a part of this specificationor disclosure and in which like numerals of reference denotecorresponding parts throughout the several views:

Figure 1 is a front or face view of a clock elnbodying the invention;

Figure 2 is a face view of one of the glass discs which form or comprisethe dial of the clock;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary face View of the clock, the bezel, crystal andouter glass disc of the dial being omitted for purposes of illustration;

Figure 4 is a View of the clock partly in section and partly in sideelevation; and

Figures 5 and 5a are enlarged sectional views taken respectively on thelines 5 5 and Sa-Ee of Figure 1.

The clock which forms the subject matter of the invention is designed tobe mounted on the dashboard of a vehicle such, for example, as anautomobile. It is adapted, as hereinafter described, to be illuminatedby one of the electric lights on the dashboard and comprises, as themain or essential parts thereof, a casing 5, a ring 6, a dial l, acrystal 3 and a bezel 9.

The casing 5 is formed of sheet metal and consists of an inner sectionIl! and an outer section I I. The inner section I0 is cylindrical andserves as a housing for the operating parts of the clock. These partsform no part of the invention and, therefore, do not appear in thedrawing. If desired, they may be electrically operated and supplied Withcurrent by way of a conductor I2 leading from the battery of theautomobile to a binding post I3 at the rear end of the casing sectionI0. The outer section II of the clock casing is afiixed to the innersection I D and consists of a sleeve-like part I4, a ilat ring-shapedwall I5, and a cylindrical side wall I 6. The sleeve-like part I4, asshown in Figure 4 of the drawing, surrounds the front end of the casingsection IG. It is riveted, pinned, soldered, or otherwise xedly securedto the inner casing section I0, and serves as a medium whereby the twosections of the casing are xedly secured together. The ring-shaped wallI5 is formed integrally with, and extends radially from, the outer endof the sleeve-like part i4, and is joined to the inner end of thecylindrical side wall I6. The latter has an integrally outturned angeI'I at its outer end and forms, with a disc I3 and the ring 6, acompartment I9 for an hour-hand 20 and a minute-hand ZI. The disc I8 isslightly smaller in diameter than the internal diameter of the side wallI6 and is secured against the outer face of the ring-shaped wall I5 ofthe outer casing section II. It serves as a closure for the outer orfront end of the inner casing section Ill and is imperforate, except fora small hole 22 in the central portion thereof. The hour-hand 2D isxedly secured to and extends radially from the outer end of ahorizontally eX- tending sleeve 23. This sleeve extends through the hole22 in the disc I8 and, as well understood in the art, is driven orrotated by the operating parts of the clock so that it swings the hand2G 360 during each twelve-hour period. The minute-hand 2| is disposeddirectly in front of the hour-hand and is secured to and extendsradially from a shaft which extends through the sleeve 23 and isconnected to, and driven by, the operating parts of the clock, so thatit swings the minute-hand ZI 360 every hour. The hourand minute-handsare disposed in close proxirnity to the outer face of the disc I 8 andare adapted to be adjusted or set by means of a shaft 24 which extendsthrough the back of the slots.

i-ner casing section i and has a knurled knob whereby it may be turnedmanually.

The ring is substantially the same in internal and external diameter asthe ring-shaped wall I 5 of the outer casing section It is formed ofsheet metal and embodies at the outer margin thereof an outwardlyextending cylindrical ange 26 and an outturned ring-shaped ilange 27.The cylindrical flange is formed integrally with the ring and serves, ashereinafter described, as a seat for the dial l?. The outturned flange2'! fits against the outturned flange of the outer casing section l iand is clamped against said last y mentioned flange by means of thebezel 9. The

ring 5 is spaced from the disc i8 and permits the cally opposite theother, and have strips 29 ofV translucent Celluloid thereover, in orderthat the light passingY therethrough is diifused and is equallydistributed in the compartment I9. The Celluloid strips 29 extend aroundthe side wall I6 of the outer casing section andare xedly secured inplace by means of studs or rivets 30 which pass through theends thereofand are anchored or secured tol the portions of the side wall i6 wluchdefine the ends of the Window-forming As shown in the drawing, theminute-hand 2! is,'as far as length is concerned, equal to the radius ofthe inner edge of the ring 6 and the hour-hand 2? is approximatelyone-half as loingV and is concealed, as shown in Figure 5, by theY bezel9.

The hour scale 33 coacts With the hour-hand 20 to indicate the hour andconsists of an annular series of hour indicating numerals 36. Thisseries is concentrically positioned with respect to the sleeve 23 forswinging the hour-hand, and the numerals 3.26 thereof are painted'orotherwise marked on the inner face of the glass discl32. As shown inFigure l, the numerals 35 are-disposed on the disc 32 at a point midwaybetween the center of the disc and the inner edge of vthe ring In orderto form a background for the numerals, a circular, opaque stripe 3l isformed by painting, or in any other suitable manner, on the front faceof the glass disc 3|. This stripe is preferably of'a different colorfrom the numerals so that the latter stand out clearly. The por- Thedisc 3i fits against the outer face of the Y The minute scale 34 coactswith the minute-Y hand 2| to show the minutes past the hour and consistsof an annular series of lines or gradua-V tions 39 and anannular seriesof numerals 46. The graduations SS are painted or marked in any suitablemanner on the inner or rear face of the glass disc 3| and are positionedso that they radiate outwardly from a circle which coincides with theinner edge of the ring 8. l and 3, the graduations 3S are sixty innumber and each VfifthE graduation is longer than the others so as toindicate ve-minute intervals. The numerals biliare painted or otherwiseformed on the innerY face of the glass disc 32. They are associatedrespectively with, and are located outwardly of, the long graduations 3Qto indicate or designate five-minute intervals. By reason of the factthat thegraduations 39 are formed onv the inner face of the glass disc3|, and the'numerals 4@ are formed on the inner face of the glass disc32, the numerals are spaced forwardly of the graduations and, as aresult of the illumination resulting from the passage of light throughthe cutouts 3S, appear to be raised with respect to the graduations. Byhaving the hour scale separate from and disposed within the minutescale, the clock may be read more readily than clocks wherein the hourand minute scales coincide. To prevent relative rotation of the discs 32andjl, an inwardly extending lug 4| is formed on rthe flange 26 of thering 6. This lug, as shownpin Figure 3, ts within notches 42 on theouter margins of the glass discs.

The bezel 9 is ring-shaped and isdisposed in margin of the crystal 8against a ring-shaped ,1.

`The inner portion of this gasket ntsY gasket 46. between the outermargins ofthe crystal and the glass disc 32 andthe outer portion of thegasket ts, and is clamped between the bezel 9 and the outturned flange21 of the ring 6. The outer margin of the bezel is bent inwardly to Asshown in Figures Y form an annular flange 41 which encircles theoutturned flanges 21 and and serves to hold, in clamped relation, thebezel 9, ring 6 and outer casing section as well as the crystal 8 andthe glass discs 3| and 32. In order to secure the clock in place on thedashboard of the automobile with which it is associated, the bezel isprovided with diametrically opposite ears 48. These ears have apertures49 extending therethrough for bolts or other attaching devices andare'arranged in Vregistry with a pair of diametrically opposite ears 50on the out-turned flange of the side wall I6 of the outer section II. f

The clock may be readily read in day time be cause of the fact that thehour scale is positioned within the minute scale. In addition, the clockmay be read readily at night because of the specific manner in which thehourand minutehands and the hour and minute scales are illuminated.Because of the comparatively small number of parts and the manner inwhich the hour and minute scales are formed on the dial l, the clock, aslar as the casing and the parts hereinbefore described are concerned,may be manufactured at a low and reasonable cost.

Whereas the clock has been described as being electrically operated, itis to be understood that it may be spring-driven or actuated. It is alsoto be understood that the invention is not restricted to the details setforth, since these may be modied within the scope of the appendedclaims, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. A clock comprising in combination, a casing for clock-operatingmechanism, a dial in the front portion of the casing comprising a pairof transparent plates arranged one in front of the other, said dialhaving around the outer portion thereof, a minute scale in the form of acircular series of minute graduations on the inner plate and numeralsformed on the outer plate around the graduations and adapted to indicateveminute intervals and also having an inner scale within the outer scalein the form of an annular series of hour-indicating numerals on one ofthe plates, and minuteand hour-hands disposed within the casing andcoacting respectively with the minute and hour scales on the dial.

2. A clock comprising in combination, a casing for clock-operatingmechanism, a dial disposed in the front portion of the casing andcomprising a pair of glass plates disposed one in front of the other,said dial having around the outer portion thereof a minute scale in theform of a circular series of minute graduations on the inner face of theinner plate and a circular series of numerals on the other plate andaround the graduations for indicating Ve-minute intervals and alsohaving an hour scale within the minute scale in the form of an annularseries of hourindicating numerals on the outer plate, and minuteandhour-hands disposed in the casing behind the dial and coactingrespectively with said minute and hour scales.

3. A clock comprising in combination, an open front casing havingclock-operating mechanism in the rear portion thereof and provided withan opaque plate in front of the mechanism and spaced inwardly from thefront thereof, an opaque ring mounted in the casing in front of theplate, a transparent dial disposed in front of the ring and having ascale consisting of an annular series of graduations adjacent to theinner edge of the ring, minuteand hour-hands positioned in the casingbetween the plate and the ring and connected for movement by themechanism, and windows in the casing for admitting light into the spacebetween said ring and plate for dial illuminating purposes.

4. A clock comprising in combination, an open front casing havingclock-operating mechanism in the rear portion thereof and provided withan opaque plate in front of the mechanism and spaced inwardly from theiront thereof, an opaque ring mounted in the casing in front of theplate, a transparent dial disposed in front of the ring and havingaround the outer portion thereof and adjacent to the inner edge of thering, a minute scale and also having a separate hour scale within theminute scale, minuteand hour-hands positioned between the plate and ringand connected for movement by the mechanism, and window means in thecasing for admitting light into the space between said plate and ringfor dial illuminating purposes.

5. A clock comprising in combination, an open iront casing havingclock-operating mechanism in the rear portion thereof and provided withan opaque plate in front of the mechanism a1 d spaced inwardly from thefront portion thereof, an opaque ring mounted in the casing in front ofthe plate, a dial disposed in front of the ring and comprising a pair ofglass plates disposed one in front of the other, said dial having aroundthe outer portion thereof and adjacent to the inner edge of the ring, aminute scale in the form of a circular series of minute graduations onthe inner glass plate and a circular series of numerals on the outerplate and around the graduations for indicating five-minute intervals,and also having an hour scale within the minute scale in the form ofannular series of hour-indicating numerals on the outer plate, minuteandhour-hands disposed in the casing between the ring and the opaque plateand connected for movement by the mechanism, and windows in the frontportion of the casing for admitting light into the space between saidring and opaque plate, and also in front of the ring.

GORDON MILLER BUEHRIG.

